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DAY 1 Friday: LIMA
Pick up upon arrival at Lima’s airport and transportation to the hotel.
Overnight (No meals)
DAY 2 Saturday: CUSCO
 Transfer to the Lima airport for the flight to Cuzco (airfare not included).
Upon arrival to Cusco Airport. Reception and transportation to the Hotel
where you will receive an aromatic coca tea to stimulating for the height,
will have the free morning to rest and also we suggest you have a light
lunch in either your hotel or in one of the surrounded; in the evening we
will depart on a City tour (entrance to the archaeological centers and
museums including) we will visit the Main square, Cathedral, the Koricancha
(temple of the sun) and in addition we will make a route bordering
archaeological centers like Sacsayhuaman Fortress, Q'enko, Puka Pukara and
Tambomachay, tour finishes 6:30pm approximately at the main square in order
you can take dinner in one of the exquisite restaurants in the area, then
overnight. (B)
*Optional Buffet Dinner with Folkloric Show: Adding $24 per person
DAY 3 Sunday: CUSCO - MACHU PICCHU
 Early breakfast and pickup to go the train station to depart to Machu Picchu,
the trip takes about 4 hours. During the trip we will have an amazing view
of the landscapes of the Sacred Valley of Urubamba and the Amazon rainforest
providing you a small hint of how much Peru has to offer. Upon arrival to
the little town of Aguas Calientes you will have to approach the bus station
towards the “Ciudadela of Machu Picchu” (Only 20 minutes ride) to receive a
professional guided tour by this Huge Historical Sanctuary follow by some
free time to explore the zone on your own and then take your buffet lunch at
the selected restaurant (included), an according time, we will go down to
the Aguas Calientes town to relax at the hot springs or just overnight at
the select hotel in Aguas Calientes town. (B,L).
DAY 4 Monday: MACHU PICCHU - CUSCO
 Breakfast and rest of day at leisure by your own (entrance and bus fee to
Machu Picchu not included on this day) in the afternoon return to Cusco.
Reception at the train station and transfer to the Hotel where it passed the
night (B).
Upon request: You can make a second visit to Machu Picchu and have the
chance to know hidden places, such as the Intipunku (Gate of the Sun) or for
more adventures can take a hike to the top of Huayna Picchu (Young Mountain)
to visit the Temple of the Moon and enjoy a spectacular view of the city. Or
if you have good physical conditions can take a hike full of adrenaline to
the Putukusi mountain opposite position than Machu Picchu which allows us to
have other unforgettable views from this new wonder.
DAY 5 Tuesday: SACRED VALLEY TOUR
Breakfast. You will be picked up at 8:15 am. Full day excursion to the
Urubamba Valley visiting: the colorful Indian market in Pisac where a
mixture of color and tradition will be able appreciated besides will have a
good opportunity to try our bargain skills on the free time to interact with
the local craftsmen to purchase their hand-made souvenirs. The Valley has a
distance of 31 km (19 miles) of Cusco, and an altitude of 2,970 ms (9,700
p), Pisac is located to the entrance of the Sacred Valley and followed by
Ollantaytambo, the older town continuously occupied of the American
continent. The narrow streets of Ollantaytambo, along with their channels
that have not varied from the time Inca, evoke their ancestral inheritance,
lunch in a typical restaurant and then the last visit will be to Chinchero
market.
Chinchero is believed to be the mythical birthplace of the rainbow. Its
major claim to tourism is its colorful Sunday market which is much less
tourist-orientated than the market at Pisac. At the end, return to Cusco
main square at 6:30pm approx.
The night is free for you to eat in a restaurant of your choice; although we
always have plenty of suggestions for you should you require them. (B, L)
Note: Take this tour on market days: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday
Bilingual Guided tour on different days
DAY 6 Wednesday: MANU AND COCK-OF-THE-ROCK LODGE:
Our overland journey begins at 3,400m/11,150 ft, with an early departure
from the highland city of Cusco. Today’s destination is the lush cloud
forest region where the Andes fall away to the Amazon basin. This is a day
of scenic drama and striking contrasts. We first visit a mountain wetland
habitat teeming with migrant and local waterfowl, before crossing two
mountain ranges between the Cusco valley and the Paucartambo valley, to a
maximum altitude of 3,900m/12,790ft. Finally we follow a sinuous ribbon of
highway on its plunge through an extraordinary world of forested cliffs,
waterfalls and gorges. We take leisurely stops to see mountain villages, a
hilltop necropolis of chullpas (pre-Inca burial chambers), and the abrupt
ridge top of Ajanaco, which marks the final high point where the Andes begin
their swoop into the Amazon basin. In clear weather we will see a
breathtaking panorama of cloud forest and mountain giving way to the lowland
rainforest plains far below us.
After a picnic lunch near here we descend through the startling and rapid
environmental transformations characteristic of the tropical Andes, passing
from grassland and stunted trees through elfin forest, until we wind through
a lush and magical world of overhanging trees, giant ferns, monster
begonias, countless orchids and bromeliads, and a diverse and teeming
birdlife.
We make frequent spontaneous stops, perhaps spotting a brilliantly feathered
quetzal, a trogon, or the wild turkey-like Guan. We reach the comfortable
Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge in the late afternoon, the best hour to visit the
nearby viewing platform for the display ground, or “lek”. This is usually
the highlight of a long, full day, a chance to see Peru’s dazzling national
bird, the Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola peruviana) in full, raucous courting
display. (Box lunch, D)
DAY 7 Thursday : COCK-OF-THE-ROCK LODGE TO PANTIACOLLA LODGE
Rising early, we have a second chance to view the Cock-of-the-Rock display,
and then scout for birds, and perhaps Brown Capuchin or Woolly monkeys along
the nearby road. Or we can take a secluded nature walk on a short trail loop
to the river and back. After breakfast we continue our drive, as mountains
give way to low rolling hills and farmland. At Patria we visit a plantation
of coca grown legitimately for the Peruvian coca leaf market.
At midday we reach Atalaya, a tiny port where the Piñipiñi River meets the
Alto Madre de Dios. Now the lowland rainforest part of our journey begins.
Rivers are the highways of the rainforest, and henceforth we will travel in
large, comfortable dugout canoes shaded by canopy roofs and driven by
powerful outboard motors.
During normal river conditions we arrive at our lodge in time for
exploration and wildlife viewing – which may include toucans, kingfishers, a
rare endemic hummingbird, the endangered Monk Saki Monkey, and a multitude
of butterflies - along one of its many forest trails. (B, L, D)
DAY 8 Friday: AMAZONIA LODGE OR PANTIACOLLA LODGE TO MANU WILDLIFE CENTER
There is time for another short morning hike on the lodge trails before
leaving early for Manu Wildlife Center.
As we follow the broad, rushing course of the Alto Madre de Dios river past
the last foothills of the Andes, our ever-changing route offers sightings of
new birds -- terns, cormorants, White-winged Swallows, and flocks of
nighthawks flushed from their daytime lairs by the sound of our engine.
Splashes of brilliant yellow, pink and red foliage dot the forest-clad
slopes around us, and the breeze is laden with the heady perfumes of the
tropical forest.
We pause during our journey to stretch our legs and visit an indigenous Piro
Indian village where we may buy forest handcrafts such as bracelets,
necklaces, bags and baskets. Later we pass the mouth of the Manu river, the
gateway to the reserved zone of the Manu National Park. Taking another break
at Boca Manu, the village a short way downriver, we visit the boatyards
where local people build the dugout boats so essential to life on the river.
After a boat journey of approximately 6 hours, we arrive at Manu Wildlife
Center, one of the world’s top ten wildlife lodges. After a reception and
orientation we move into our private bungalow and rest to escape the midday
heat.
Later, we make our first acquaintance with the lowland rainforest, learning
about the plants and forest ecology as we explore some of the 30 miles of
trails that surround the lodge. We have an excellent chance of encountering
some of the 12 species of monkeys, including the Monk Saki and Emperor
Tamarin, which inhabit the surrounding forest. (B, L, D)
DAY 9 Saturday: MANU WILDLIFE CENTER: THE MACAW CLAY LICK, CANOPY TOWER &
TAPIR CLAY LICK
Another early start (inevitable on wildlife expeditions), is followed by a
short boat ride downstream. We take a 20-minute trail through palm
plantations to a cut-off channel of the river, where we find the Blanquillo
Macaw Lick. A spacious hide provided with individual chairs and a convenient
place for cameras and binoculars is our ringside seat for what is usually a
very spectacular show. We enjoy a full breakfast here while waiting for the
main actors to arrive.
In groups of twos and threes the big Red-and-Green Macaws come flapping in,
landing in the treetops as they eye the main stage below -- the eroded clay
banks of the old channel. Meanwhile the supporting cast appears: these may
included Blue-headed, Mealy, Yellow-crowned, and Orange-cheeked Parrots --
and the occasional villain, a menacing and unwelcome Great Black Hawk.
The drama plays out in first in tentative and then bolder approaches to the
lick, until finally nearly all the macaws, parrots and parakeets form a
colorful and noisy spectacle on the bare banks, squabbling as they scrape
clay from the hard surface.
(Please note that the clay lick is most active from August to October and
less so during the months of May and June.)
We return to the lodge for lunch, and then we continue to explore and
discover the rainforest, its lore and plant life, on the network of trails
surrounding the lodge, arriving in the late afternoon at our 34m/112ft
Canopy Tower. On its platform we witness the frantic rush-hour activity of
twilight in the rainforest canopy, before night closes in.
Later we set off along the “collpa trail”, which will take us to the lodge’s
famous Tapir Clay lick. Here at the most active tapir lick known in all the
Amazon, our research has identified from 8-12 individual 600-pound Tapirs
who come to this lick to eat clay from under the tree roots around the edge.
This unlikely snack absorbs and neutralizes toxins in the vegetarian diet of
the Tapir, the largest land animal of Latin America. The lick features a
roomy, elevated observation platform 5m/17ft above the forest floor. The
platform is equipped with freshly-made-up mattresses with pillows. Each
mattress is covered by a roomy mosquito net. The 50-m-long, elevated walkway
to the platform is covered with sound-absorbing padding to prevent our
footsteps from making noise. This Tapir Experience is unique and exciting
because these normally very shy creatures are visible up close, and flash
photography is not just permitted, but encouraged.
The hard part for modern city dwellers is to remain still and silent
anywhere from 30 minutes to two or more hours. Many prefer to nap until the
first Tapir arrives, at which point your guide gently awakens you to watch
the Tapir 10-20m/33-66ft) away below the platform. Most people feel that the
wait is well worth it in order to have such a high probability of observing
the rare and elusive Tapir in its rainforest home. (B, L, D)
DAY 10 Sunday: MANU WILDLIFE CENTER: COCHA BLANCO AND THE WILDLIFE TRAILS
We set off early for Cocha Blanco, an old oxbow lake full of water lilies
and sunken logs. As we circle the lake on our catamaran we might encounter
the resident Giant Otter family on a fishing expedition, or troops of
monkeys crashing noisily through the trees. Wattled Jacanas step lightly on
the lily pads, dainty Sun Grebes paddle across the water, supple-necked
Anhingas air-dry their wide, black wings, and perhaps an Osprey scans for
fish from a high branch.
Among the bushes near the waterline, Hoatzins, which look like rust-colored,
punk chickens, announce their presence with distinctive, bizarre wheezing
and grunts. Woodpeckers, tanagers, macaws, toucans and parakeets all finally
come swooping in to trees surrounding the lake. Many of them roost around
the lake for the night.
After lunch at the lodge our guide is available to lead us on freewheeling
expeditions in search of further wildlife encounters, or we may take one of
the lodge’s many trails on private and personal excursions to commune with
the spirits of the rainforest.
This evening, from late afternoon until after dinner, we can take a boat
ride in search of caiman (alligator-like reptiles), and other nocturnal
wildlife along the riverbank. (B, L, D)
DAY 11 Monday: MANU WILDLIFE CENTER TO CUSCO
After an early breakfast, we leave on the two-hour boat trip to the Boca
Manu airfield, enjoying early morning wildlife activity as we go. From here
we fly to Cusco, where our rainforest adventure ends with a pickup and
transfer to our hotel. Overnight(B)
Please note that the program may vary slightly so as to maximize your
wildlife sightings, depending on the reports of our researchers and
experienced naturalist guides based at the lodge.
DAY 12 Tuesday: LIMA
Transfer to the airport where you'll take the flight back to Lima (airfare
not included) in time to get your international flight connection. (B)
END OF THE SERVICE |
